Latest News

Appointment System

We offer a range of routine patient pre-bookable appointments for non-urgent problems.

If all of the near-future pre-bookable appointments have been taken and there are none left within a suitable time-frame to deal with your problem, then we will definitely find a solution for you. If necessary we will fit your request into the "Urgent" system as below. We do not operate a "call back tomorrow" policy.

All "Urgent" requests will be dealt with initially over the telephone by a Doctor or Nurse Practitioner, discussing the problem with the patient/caller the same day.

The reception staff will take details from the patient (contact telephone number and brief description of the problem if possible) to enable the clinical team to prioritise the order of calls.

The request will be added to a telephone list and a Doctor or Nurse Practitioner will ring back as soon as possible.

The Doctor or Nurse Practitioner will book face to face appointments where it is agreed that an appointment is necessary, normally for the same day, unless the problem can be resolved over the phone.

Patients can still book pre-bookable Doctor and Nurse Practitioner appointments for up to six weeks in advance. They can do this by telephoning Reception, or via the internet/ Access App.

Nurse and Health Care Assistant appointments are unaffected by the new system described here.

Telephone triage of non-routine requests makes access to appointments quicker, fairer and safer by involving clinicians directly. It enables the Doctors and Nurse Practitioners to understand the problem and ensure that patients who need to be seen quickly get an appropriate appointment.

Temporary Suspension of Online Access and Services From 29 Jan 2019!

Due CCG policy we need to migrate from our existing computer system EMIS to a new system, SystmOne. It will not be possible for patients to access their records online, or to book appointment online, or to make prescription requests online from 29th Jan for a short while, as the user's passwords are not transferable and will need to be reissued. We will be working on this as a priority and will get everyone's online access and services up and running again as soon as possible.

Patients can book appointments, view medical record items (including hospital letters), and request prescriptions live online by connecting directly with our practice computer system. To use this system you will need an access password specific to your medical record - confidentiality and data security is very important to us. Please note that due to a change in the level of detail now available, patients who already have online access to their basic medical record and who wish to view hospital letters as well will need to request the extra functionality be "switched on" for their record. Please telephone the practice on 0191 3887771, or click the Prescription or Appointment boxes on the Home screen to register to use these services, or to request an upgrade to access to the detailed record including letters. Once activated, the online services can be accessed by internet, or by a Tablet or Smartphone App. To download the Apps, click here.

Extended Hours Access

We are open on Sundays for pre-arranged appointments. There is no walk-in or wait to be seen facility on Sundays, telephone arranged (with the surgery or via 111) appointments only please. Thank you.

"Out of Area" Patients

From January 2015 practices have been allowed to register patients who live outside the practice boundaries. Any such registrations are at the discretion of the practice, taking into account the feasibility of being able to provide good GP services "at a distance". This varies between patients and depends on medical and geographical considerations. Special registration requests and unusual circumstances patients may apply even if not covered by the guidelines detailed here. Such registration requests will be considered by a senior doctor and the practice manager on a case by case basis. It is vitally important that all parties are clear who will be responsible for home visits and emergency care. If an application is successful, the patient is registered as an "out of area" patient on the understanding that they will not be able to receive home visits from Cestria, they must attend the surgery in person for all ordinary needs which cannot be sorted out by phone. If an "out of area" patient does need urgent attention close to home, or a home visit, this will be arranged via the NHS phone service 111. For details of the NHS regulations governing this system, please contact reception. Thank you.

Latest Practice Newsletter

For all the news, including some staff changes, please click on the link at the top right of the page.

Notice of Average GP Earnings For This Practice

All Practices are now required to publish this information. The average pay for GPs working in Cestria Health Centre in the last financial year was £75,312 before tax and national insurance deductions. This is for 4 full time GPs and 7 part time GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months. The figures were prepared for us in accordance with Government rules by our accountants Robson Laidler.